Metal rough box



oct. 3, 1933.

H. W. MITCHELL METAL ROUGH BOX Filed March 8, 1952 'Patented Oei. a, tess METAL ROUGH BOX `nam w. Mitchell, shaker Heights, ohio, essignor to The G. F. Mitchell and Sons Comf pany, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio `Applica.tion March 8, 1932. Serial No. 597,492 y 9 Claims.

A11o fore they could be used as rough boxes even if the quality of lumber were to'be considered satisfactory. For these reasons such packing cases are ordinarily destroyed, yand represent a loss except for their function of protecting the casket in transit. o f

One of the objects of my invention is the pro*- vision of a box which `is equally adapted for use both as a shipping case and asr ar roughk box for burial purposes. l L

Another object is the provision of a box of relatively light gauge sheet metal, cin order that the shipping weight may compare favorably with .the shipping weight yof a wooden rough box or shipping case, together` with `two or'` more slings for the casket built into the bottom and sides of the box, bywhich the boxwith its casket is to be carried, thereby taking thev strainsimposed by the weight of Ythe casket away fromy the. relatively light material ofthe box. y A further object of the invention is the utilization of the cover fasteners as a part of the casket supporting slings.

Still another object is the construction of the slings in such manner that they can be used for anchoring straps passed over the casket in order to prevent it from moving in the box during ship-A ment.y l

VOther objects and features of novelty will appear as I proceed with the description of that 40 embodiment of the invention which, for the purposes of the present application, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a' perspective view of a rough box embodying the invention. or

AFig. 2` is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental transverse sectional view on a larger scale, this view being taken substantially at the point marked by the arrow 3 in Fig. 1 and showing the position of a casket in the box, and Y l Fig. v4 is a fragmental elevational view of one of the box handles with its connection to the corresponding transverse rail. As shown in the drawing my rough box comprises a bottom member or base k10 which may be d provided with longitudinal ribs 11 and 12 principally for the purpose of increasing its strength.

`The box also includes a cover member comprising a top 13,`sides 14 and ends 15. The end plates 15 y6 0 are each `provided with an external flange by means of which they are connected, as by Welding or otherwise, with the top and side walls `13 and 14, These top and side walls are preferably made in a single piece, and are constructed of corru- 165 gated metal with the corrugationsthereof running transversely, as disclosed in my copending application Ser. No. 584,469, led January 2, 1932. The transverse corrugations of course add greatly to the strength Vand rigidity of the cover.

At their lower edges the sides 14 are provided with longitudinal o transversely K curved ribs .or beads^ 16 'which havey al further strengthening effect. When the cover is in placev these beads rest upon outer horizontal flanges 17 extending along -75 the s ide edges of the base l0.l

The casket, which is indicated at 18 ,in Figs. 2 and 3, is supported upon transverse rails 19, of which there are'generally two, althoughy three may be employed in some cases, These` rails are 8.0

formed of sheet metal which should be of suficiently heavy gauge to support the load of the casket and, its contents with a reasonable factor of safety, although of course they will be-assisted invtheir support of the load by the base 10 of the 85 `rough box to which the rails'are attached.

Althoughvthe rails 19 could be secured below .the box bottom, I prefer to mount them above it as shown in the drawings. As disclosed herein they are formed as inverted channels with out- Vwardly extending bottom anges which are riveted to the ribs 11 andr 12 and to the base 10 between the two ribs 11. Y y

Between4 each pair of ribs ll and 12 the rail 19 terminates above the base 10, leavingr a space 95 20. Intermediate the two ribs l1 the railv 19 is deflected downwardly to enable `its flanges to rest' directlyupon the base l0. At a point midway 0f its length the sides of the rails are cut away to provide a spaceor passage 2l. kAt its outer ends 100 the rail 19 isdrawn down at and rolled back upon itself to provide a hinge socket or sleeve 22, the edge of the metal inwardly ofthe hinge sleeve being secured by rivets which extendthrough the flangel'l of the base 10. yIn vertical alignment with each of the hingeV sockets 22 I" mount upon vthe sidesA ofthecover member handles 23. Each of these handles is pivotally hungwithin a loop 24 formed in` ayery tically arranged reenforcing strip 25 that is se- 1110 cured to the corrugated metal of the side member by rivets or the like, preferably located within the troughs of the corrugations as viewed from the outside of the box. Just above the handle 23 a guard 26 is mounted. It acts as a stop to prevent the handle 23 from swinging upwardly beyond an angle of 90 with the side of the cover.

Below the handle 23 the -reenforcing vstrip 25 is reduced in width and is given an outwardly and upwardly curved fold constituting a saddle 27. The strip 25 terminates slightly below this saddle 27, and is there secured to the sidewall of the cover by a rivet or otherwise, as indicated at 28 in Fig. 4. v

I connect the socket or :sleeve 22 on-the base member with a saddle 27 ofthe-sidewall by an extensible link which serves thepurpose not only of locking the cover to the base member, but also constitutes part of the connection between the handle 24and the transverse rail 19. Each sling iis-therefore made up of a transverse rail '19,'two handles 23, two reenforcing strips 25, and the extensible links presentlyto'be described.

-While in the broader aspects of the invention variousother Akinds of connections between the saddle 2"!,andthe socket 22 couldbe successfully employed, particularly removable or releasable connections, some sort of extensible jlink is preferredbecause-it can be made entirely of metal, and therefore as strong as necessary to fulll itsjfrunotions as apart of the casket supporting sling, ,and lbecause it ,can tbe very quickly and easily set and released.

As herein disclosed .the extensible link comprises Aa heavy wire loop 29, .the bight of which extends vthroiigh 1th e 'l i i nge socket 22. Near its .upper .ends the side members ef .this .loop are ,ciidrved inwardly, that is toward the box, andthe ends are .then turned .toward each Otherand pivotally mounted in the side walls of a channelshaped sheet metal operating lever 3,0. The ends of a second heavy wire loop 31 arealso mounted in ythe operating ,lever 30, and the bight .of vthe latter .loop 'is .adapted .to seat in the vsaddle A27.

VI t will .be yobvious from an inspection of the AdrallVIlg Ythat when the operating lever 30 is Y,swims `clevvnvvardlv upon the ends of loop A29 as pivots, the loop 31 will be raised far enough to permit it to be Aremoved from the Saddle 27, Vafter which the ,wholeV extensible link may be swung downwardly about hinge sooket22, and that similar action with all the extensible links will leave the cover member free to lbe lifted off the base member of the box. When the reverse operation is to be performed the extensible links, with the .operating levers v3 0 .turned down, are swung .up-

wardly until the loop 31 .of each lies above its saddle 27, after which the operating lever is swung upwardly ,to the position indicated in the drawing. whereby the loep 3 1 is drawn downto canse its transverse portion to engage and seat itself tightly within the saddle. When this has occurred, it will be observed, the adjacent ends of loops 29 and 31 vhave passed beyond dead center so that the link tends to maintain itself in locked position. It will also be observed that the position o f the operating lever 30 in its locking-condition is inst the reverse of the usual position of such levers, and this is for the purpose 0f preventing aeeidental unlocking of the link when a rough box with a casket enclosed therein is lowered into a grave.

The loops 29 and 31 are so positioned with respect to the corrugations of the cover member that when the extensible links are in locking position the upstanding portions of the loops 29 and 31 will lie in the troughs of the corrugations and hence will not protrude appreciably beyond the ribs or beads 16.

When a casket is to be shipped in my rough box it must be held against movement in order to avoid damage. The spaces 20 and 2l previously referred to are provided for this purpose.

vvWhen the casket is in position, preferably centered upon the rails 19 both longitudinally and laterally, it is secured to the rails by flexible ties, preferably heavy fabric straps. A laterally extending strap 32 is used at each rail 19, one end of .each strap being passed around the rail throughthe space 20 and knotted, and the strap then caused to pass upwardly along the side of the casket, overtheftop of the same and downwardly on the other side, where its end is passed around the rail 19 through the space 20 at that end of the rail and tied or otherwise secured. ,When both straps 32 -have 4been thus adjusted, athird strap`33 is tied to the middle of one-rail 19, the'endof the strap beingpassed throughthe space 21 in thaterail. Thisstrap is then brought upward along the end of thecaskea extended lengthwise of the-top thereofypreferably secured to the transverse straps 32'where it'crosses those straps, and Vthen broughtdownward'over theopposite end of the casket and secured to kthe other rail 19 through the lopening 21 thereoff All of -the straps areof course-drawn up tightly, and by vthis means the casket is lashed downvery securely to the lrails 19 and the base 10.

AInthe vforegoing description I have necessarily gone somewhat into detail in order 'to 'explain fully the particular embodiments of the inven- Ation herein illustrated, but I desire itto be understood that such detailed disclosures are not to be construed as amounting to limitations, except Aas ithey may be includedin the appended claims.

Vends extending across the bottom and Vup the sides of the box, the side and, bottom portions of said slings being separable at the joint between the bottom and cover.

2. In a metal rough box, a bottom, a cover member having sides, a plurality of slings comprising transverse rails attached to the bottom and adapted to support a casket, handles 'attached to the cover sides, and separable connections between said handles and the respective rails.

3. In a metal rough box, a bottom and a cover formed of sheet metal, said cover comprising a top and sides and a plurality of casket supporting slings with handles at their ends extending across the bottom and up the sides of the box, said slings being formed of metal and being connected with the bottom and sides of the box.

.4. In a metal rough box, a bottom, a cover member having sides, a plurality of slings comprising transverse rails attached to the bottom and adapted to support a casket, handles attached to the cover sides, and separable connections between said handles and the respective rails, said separable connections constituting also means for locking said bottom and cover member together.

` 5. In a metal rough box, a bottom, a cover member having sides, a plurality of slings comprising transverse rails mounted upon the bottom and projecting above the same, said rails having casket supporting surfaces upon their upper sides, and having provision for the reception of straps by which the casket may be tied down, each of said slings extending also part way up the sides of the box and having external handles at their upper ends.

6. In a metal rough box, a bottom, a cover member having sides, a plurality of transverse rails mounted upon the bottom and projecting above the same, said rails having casket supporting surfaces upon their upper sides, and each rail having provision for the reception'of a strap at each end and at themiddle, by means of which the casket may be secured to the slings by a plurality of transverse straps and one longitudinal strap. f

7. In a metal rough box, a bottom member, and a cover member separable therefrom comprising a top, sides and ends, a plurality of rails mounted transversely upon said ,bottom member and securely attached thereto, said rails being adapted to support a casket, and connections exhandles at their ends extending across the bottom v and up the sides of the` box, said slings comprising transverse bottom members and extension links for detachably securing the sides of the rough box to the bottom thereof.

9. In a metal rough box, a bottom and sides, and a pair of casket supporting slings with handles at their ends extending across the bottom and up the sides of the box, said slings comprising transverse bottom members and extension links for detachably securing the sides of the rough box to the bottom thereof, eachlink includinga swinging operating lever which is thrown upward to operative position.

HARRY W. MITCHELL. 

